Evaporation of chlorine



Patented -June 1926. I UNITED STATES, PATsNT omen,

BENJAMIN T. BROOKS, F SOUND BEACH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T THE MTE??- SN ALKALI WORKS, INC., 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A GBPORATION OI? WRG'NM.

EVAPOEATION OF CHLQRINE.

Application led October 22, 1923. Serial No. 669,804.

This invention relates to the evaporation improved apparatus for carrying out auch o liquid chlorine, and involvesthe utilizava orization. tion of water at ordinary atmospheric temccording to the present invention, the peratures for the purpose of supplying the liquid chlorine is evaporated by heat inter v heat requisite for the evaporation of the change with water at ordinary atmospheric ae chlorine. The invention includes both the temperatures, such as ordinary ta water new process and the new japparatus. The as it is drawn from the mains. 'Ihe teml process of the invention comprises passing perature of ordinary tap water is quite liquid chlorine in heat interchangingrelasuiici'ent to vaporize the liquid chlorine and 10 tion with a flowing stream of water at ordi- I`v have found that the evaporation can be (I.

- '39 chlorine into '-23 large bu nary atmospheric temperature. The apeffected at'a satisfactor rate by a uantity aratus o the invention comprises means of Water that is actual y quite small. For or bringing liquid chlorine .into heat interexample, I have found that about 100 lbs. of, changing relation'with a flowing stream of chlorine per hour can be evaporated byv water at ordinary atmospheric temperature. about 8G to 90- gallons of water per hour, tu Chlorine is commonly supplied to the con- -the water being thereby cooled approxisumer in the form of a liquid in heavy conmately 10 C. tainers under pressure. For usein chlorin- In carrying out the invention, the chloating solutions 't is desirable to liberate the ri/nel may be evaporated, for example, in a the'solution in theform of a container such as a drum, tank, or coil of 7l "gas in order to insure intimate contacting of pipe in a receptacle through which the `the gas d solution, as otherwise the vawater flows., Water maybe supplied to the porizat'ionof chlorine within'the body of the receptacle and then allowed to run to waste, solution bein -chlorinated would yield such in which case the receptacle may be an o en bles that the absorption eiiitank, orga portion of the water owlng l0 v ciency would be very low and there would through the mains may be diverted or bybe danger of the escape of unabsorbed chlopassed through a closed tank in which the rine to theatmosphere. The vaporization chlorine-evaporating container is immersed. of liquid chlorine within the solution also Inl the accompanying/drawingsl have il "do has a cooling effect that is frequently un-/lustrated `an apparatus embodying the in- 3| desirable. Likewisefor many other applivention and particularly adapted for `praccations'it is desirable to have the chlorine ticing the process of the invention. It will, in the form of a ysrather than a liquid. however, be understood that man variations .Although chlorine as a relatively low boilare possible within the sco e o my `inven- 5 ing'point, about 33.6 C. at 7 60 in. rn., it tion, as will appear to one s illed inthe art. 00

has a rather high heat of vaporization, about In these drawings: 6T .calories per gram, -and 1t is necssary to Fig. l is a diagrammatic and partially secsupply heat to the liquid chlorine in order tional view in elevation of a chlorine evapor- K to evaporate itat suchrates as are necessary ator .according to'the present invention con- 'w the wporizauon of iiqnd einer' sandte 40 for practical urposes. `nected to a typical source of liquid chlorine, U

,'Hitherto it as been customary to va orand; ize liquid chlorine in small, cylindrical, Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate modificationsin the 'steel tanks, heated by steam or hot water. modeof connecting the jacket of the evapor- 'lhis' has involved the utilization of uelator tothe supply of water.

tofsupply the requisite heat andhas also in- Thevevaporator consists of a coil of pipe 100 volved careful manipulation and control of l0, disposed within a jacket 11, the pipe coil the vaporatio'n procedure. For example, passing throuhpacked or sealed joints 12 'if the valves in such an apparatus become and 13 in the ead's 14 and 1 5, which heads plugged or accidentally closed-while liquid lare tightly secured tothe jaclret wall 11.

"chlorine is in the evaporator, excessive' and {lonnections 16 and 17,a re provided commun 1% dangerous pressures are rapidly ..develo' d. nicatinggwithvthc'interior of the jacket il The present invention overcomes t ese whereby water from any suitable source may and other similar disadvanta es'and'l pro'- be passed intoA and removed from the space vides a simple and economica ethod for rovided the jacket about the coill.

' -referably theseconnections ane arranged so 110 that the water is circulated in countercurrent to the chlorine passing through and heing vapor-ized in thel coil 10. The liquid chlorine is supplied to the coil 10 through connection 18 and the gaseous chlorine is conducted from the coil to the point ot application through connection 19, which latter connection may be provided with pressure gauge 20.

The drum 21 represents a typicalcontainer in which li uid chlorine is supplied to the consumer, an consists of a steel drum provided with a valved connection 22 for withdrawing liquid chlorine therefrom.` The liquid chlorine is passed from the container through connection 23 to the ex ansion valve 24 provided at the inlet o the vaporizing coil 10.

In operation I prefer to choke the valve 24 at the inlet of the vaporizing coil 10 so that the normal pressure of the liquid chlorine within the container 21 is exerted in the liquid line 23 up to this valve, the valve 24 being adjusted so that it releases the chlorine to atmospheric pressure or such slight pressures as are required to force the gasified chlorine through connecting piping or the aperturesat the point of application of the gasified chlorine. A suiicient flow of water at ordinary atmospheric temperature, introduced through connection 16, is maintained through the acket 11 and about the coil 10, being removed through connection 17, so that the chlorine is vaporized during its passage upwardly through the coil 10.`-

I find that, for use in connection with containers adapted to hold about 1 ton of liquid chlorine the apparatus can advantageously be constructed of about 10 turns of a 1 steel pipe, the coil being about 9 in diameter, center to center, or about 10 outside diameter, disposed within a length of aboutlO of 12 pipe with suitable heads and gaskets to provide a closed jacket about the coil. In' such an apparatus about 1 ton of liquid chlorine can be vaporized in from 3 to .4f hours. It will be apparent, however, that the dimensions of the evaporator can be widely varied, depending upon the quantity of the liquid chlorine to be vaporizedv and -fupon the temperature of the tap water that is available. To maintain an equivalent rate of evaporation, a larger area of heat interchange will be required with cooler water. Since the boiling point of the chlorine is not far below ordinary atmospheric temperature and the heat of vaporization of the chlorine` is rather high it is important to provide a relatively large surface for the heat interchange between the liquid chlorine and the water; I also iind itadvantageous, in pro-A moting the eiiiciency of the apparatus, to use a thin walled steel coil. It will also be apparent that other materials may be used in the construction of 'the coil which have a sufiiciently high heat conductivity and which are not attacked to a prohibitive degree by chlorine, such, for example, as copper.

In plants for the chlorination of water, a somewhat smaller apparatus will usually be found adequate; and in this application,

since water is continuallyv flowing through the large mains, I have found it particularly advantageous to by-pass a small amount of the water through suitable pipes or connections to the .chlorine evaporating coil, thence returning it to the mains. In Fig. 3 l have illustrated a chlorine evaporator connected in this manner, a portion of the water passing through the main 25being by-passed to the jacket 11 through connection 26 and valve 27, being returned to the main through connection 28. The amount of water required, however, is so small that its cost is usually negligible and a somewhat simpler form of apparatus may be used, in which the water is permitted to flow through the apparatus and thence to waste. In Fig. 2, I have illustrated an' apparatus in which the water for the evaporation of the liquid chlorine is passed to the jacket 11 from the main 25, through connection 26 and valve 27,

being run to waste or otherwise disposed ofv through connection 29.

Where the evaporated water is returned to the main or is put to other application where it is desirable to utilize the pressure under which it is supplied to the apparatus, it is advantageous to provide a water-tight jacket or tankv about the evaporating coil, but where the water is run to waste the evaporating coil may be placed in an open tank. In order to conserve iioor space, I prefer to place the evaporator in an 11p-right position; and to use the water most eciently, prefer to construct the jacket relatively long with reference to the width or diameter.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a' simplemethod for the evap eration of liquid chlorine in which the heat of water at ordinary atmospheric temperature is utilized for the vaporization. This invention eliminates the use of fuel or relatively high temperatures to eifect the vaporization and' the attendant danger and necessity for careful manipulation and con;

trol, Another important advantage or' the www@ g moiiiod evpomising iiouici which comprises passing 'iio onioo an evaporaing receptacle, and iowae mi; ofinovy atmospheic temporave' and aboiis this recopacio.

method of ovapomting iiquici i@ which comprises passing' che chioa iocpace of i'eiaiively largo area owing Waier at Vordiniiy atmospheric ture in heat imei-changing reiaition is receptacie,

The method of evaporaiing liquid chlorine which comprises withdrawing water at ordinary aiinosphei'ic temperature from a main, by-passing this water in hoot inteiciiiingiiig relation with the iquid iiio ring, zuid. ihoii returning the 'water to time mam.

5., The method of evaporating liquid chiorine which compris@ passing o iowing stream of liquid chio'ino in heat merciiang ing relation with a owing stream of Water :it ordinary atmospheric temperature,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BENJAMN T. BEGOES., 

